Turkey seeks 176 officers over links to US-based cleric

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s state-run news agency says prosecutors have issued warrants for the detention of 176 serving military officers over suspected links to the U.S.-based Muslim cleric who is blamed by Ankara for a failed coup attempt in 2016.

Anadolu Agency says the warrants were issued Tuesday against a colonel, two lieutenant colonels, five majors, seven captains, 118 lieutenants and 43 sergeants for alleged links to cleric Fethullah Gulen’s network. The officers are from the army, the air force, the navy and the coast guard, the report said.

Anadolu says police were ordered to conduct simultaneous raids to detain the suspects.

Some 77,000 people have been arrested and around 130,000 others have been dismissed from state jobs since the coup. Gulen denies involvement in the attempt.